


Opposites Attract

by canadianpancakes



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien cursing, Bad boy Adrien, Chat being flirty, Chat's actually not a hero, F/M, Fluff, Goody-two-shoes Marinette, Marinette being cute, References to Depression, Slow Build, Underage Smoking, and flirting, or at least not at first, puns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 07:20:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8569402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadianpancakes/pseuds/canadianpancakes
Summary: Adrien wears black, Marinette prefers pink.Adrien goes through his school day pushing aside any work, and not caring- while Marinette works hard in all of her classes to make sure she can pass.  Oh, and Marinette is the beloved saviour of Paris, while Adrien is still new to the whole "hero thing".





	1. chapter one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because a Bad boy!Adrien was needed.

 Marinette quickly rushed around her room, half of her hair done, and with only one sock on, as she searched for her books. She found them scattered around her bed from her late studying the night before, and quickly shoved them into her bag before grabbing the other sock, and putting it on.

  _Oh no no no no! Im going to be late!_ Marinette thought, as she quickly brushed the rest of hair, deciding to leave it down for lack of time. She grabbed her bag, flung it over her shoulder, and slipped on her shoes as she rushed out of her room.

"I told you you should have went to bed earlier," A petit voice, that Marinette recognised all too well, said from her bag. Marinette sighed and pushed her bangs back from her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, Tikki. I get it. But I can't change that now, can I?"

Marinette rushed out of the bakery, and made her way down the street.

_Please, please don't let me be in too much trouble...!_

~

Adrien leaned back in his seat, placing his feet on the desk in front of him. The class was a bore, and he just wanted it to end. As he let out a yawn, he glanced around the room. He recalled the empty seat behind him, and turned to look.

It was still empty.

He squinted his eyes in thought. It was that Mari girl's spot- the good student who never missed a class.

Adrien shrugged, too tired to think about it, and turned back around. He placed his head on his hand, and with the teacher's distant mumbling, he drifted to sleep.

His slumber was quickly disturbed, however, by the door of the classroom being pushed opened. Everything was silent, as everyone's attention turned toward the door to see who interrupted. Standing at the door, was none other than the goody-two-shoes herself, breathing heavily as if she had been running.

~

Marinette stood in the doorway to her classroom, her face flushed red from running and embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry I'm late! I over slept..." She said as she stepped fully into the classroom, and scurried to her desk. She felt the eyes of all the other students on her as she quietly took her seat and began taking out her books.

"Well, just don't let it happen again," The teacher warned Marinette. Marinette nodded in response, her face still red from embarrassment. She had never been late, _never_. And she was so disappointed in herself for staying up so late, and sleeping in. Marinette slowly sank down in her seat, and hid her scarlet face behind her hands.

"You alright, there?"

Marinette nearly jumped out of her seat as a voice in front of her spoke. She quickly lifted her head up to come face to face with Adrien, as he smirked at her. Marinette felt her heart skip a beat at the way he looked at her. She cleared her throat, as an attempt to keep from speaking in too high of a voice, or something as equally embarrassing.  
"Er, yeah. I'm good!" She responded in a much perkier voice than intended. She smiled at him in reassurance, and he simply arched a brow before shrugging and turning back around.

Marinette face palmed.

_Why does he have to make me act like such a fool?_

She sighed, blowing a few strands of her stray hair out of her face. Sitting back up, she opened her book and turned her attention to the teacher.

It wasn't the time to think about her silly school girl crush. She needed to focus on school. With her mind set, she began taking notes.

~

School seemed to drag on forever, and usually, Marinette didn't complain about it, but when she was running on limited hours of sleep, she couldn't help but count down the seconds until she was finally released.

She stared absentmindedly at the clock, watching the time tick by.

_Only a few more minutes. I can make it._

She urged herself to finish her work, but her brain was fried.

As Marinette sat waiting for the day to be over, the final bell rang, signalling the end of the class.

"Students, don't forget to finish your reports!" The teacher called out as everyone started packing up and leaving.

Marinette gathered her things and made her way for the door, slouching slightly from exhaustion.

"Long day?" Tikki's voice questioned from Marinette's bag.

She yawned, as if to answer her question.  
"You have no idea..."  
Tikki gave her a pitying smile, before ducking back into the bag. Marinette adjusted her bag on her shoulder, as she stepped out of the school building, and made her way down the front steps. She could feel herself growing tired at the thought of all the homework she had, and the patrol she had planned for the night. With a groan, she stepped off the last step, and made her way towards her home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so that's chapter one. I'm honestly not sure where this idea came from, but I'm enjoying writing it. Hope you guys enjoy this fic, too!
> 
> Tumblr: buga-boo  
> Instagram: chatsears


	2. chapter two

 It had only been a few hours since she got back home, and she had already nearly fell asleep four times. She could tell it was going to be yet another late night. Her eyes found her alarm clock on her desk. It read 8:15. She needed to go out and patrol, but she had so much homework. Her grade was already suffering as it was.

"Tikki? Do you think I could possibly, maybe, skip the patrol tonight?"

Tikki hummed in thought from her spot on Marinette's desk.  
"I'm not sure about that, Marinette. Maybe. Turn on the news and see what's going on."

Marinette nodded as she brought up the news on her computer. As she scanned the updates, she sighed in relief at seeing nothing too important she needed to worry about. She returned to her homework, leaving the news open on her computer just in case. Though, she was silently hoping nothing happened.

However, her hoping was destroyed when not even ten minutes later, a "Breaking News" alert popped up on her screen. With a groan, Marinette clicked on it to see what was going on.

_"Mysterious Masked Figure Spotted Leaping Across the Rooftops"_

Marinette arched a brow at the headline, before continuing on.

"A mysterious masked figure, that looked suspiciously like a cat, was spotted only a few minutes ago, jumping across the rooftops. As of right now, they've done nothing bad. Updates will be kept on the situation."

Marinette stared at her computer screen for a minute.  
"You have to be kidding me," she sighed as she closed her book and notebook, and stood up.

"Well, lets go see who this mysterious person is." Marinette said as Tikki chuckled.  
"Oh, come on. It's not that bad!" Tikki reassured. Marinette smiled slightly in response.

She pushed her hair behind her ear, revealing her red earrings, then shouted,  
"Tikki, spots on!"

~

The night was clear, with many twinkling stars scattered across the indigo coloured sky. Adrien leaned back in his sitting position on the roof, holding himself up with his hands. It was different, seeing the sky from a mask. It was like seeing from a new perspective, from someone else's eyes. Adrien sighed as he looked down at his gloved hands. The whole situation was odd.

_*a few hours earlier*_

Adrien was walking home, when he noticed a little box on the ground. Up ahead of the box, was a man.

"Hey," Adrien called out to the man. "You dropped something." Adrien had sprinted up to the small box, picking it up, and continued calling out to the man.

"Mister!" Adrien was getting aggravated. The man seemed to have sped up, and Adrien was losing him in a crowd of people. As Adrien pushed passed a few people, he saw the man turn around a corner. So he followed.

However, when he turned the corner, it led to a dead end. And the man was no where to be seen.

"Dammit," Adrien mumbled under his breath as he glanced around for any sign of the man. Adrien sighed, and ran a hand through his disheveled, blonde hair, before glancing down at the box in his hand. He tossed the box slightly in his hand, for a moment, wondering what to do with it. He ended up stuffing it in the pocket of his black hoodie, followed by his hands.

_His loss._

Adrien thought to himself as he began walking back.

  
When Adrien got back to his house, he locked himself in his room, as he usually did. He threw his backpack on his floor. As he slipped his black converses off, he pulled the box out from his pocket, then threw himself on his bed. He examined the box, flipping it over to examine the back as well. It was an interesting box, or as interesting as boxes can get. It looked like a some kind of case; it was black, with red velvet on the cover, that seemed to be foreign.

Adrien couldn't help but wonder,  
_What's in here?_

Curiosity got the best of him, and he opened the box. 

When Adrien opened the box, at first, it was just a ring. Then there was a flash, and a small, cat-like creature appeared on his bed beside him. Adrien was confused, but the creature acted like nothing unusual had happened.

"About time I be let out of that thing."

The creature stated as he stretched his back. Adrien had quickly jumped off of his bed, and stared at the creature in confusion and shock.

"What the hell are you?" Adrien questioned as he examined it from afar.

The cat-like creature yawned, then floated up to Adrien. Adrien stepped back from it.

"Aw, c'mon I don't bite. And the name's Plagg. I'm your Kwami."

Adrien arched a brow. "My _what_?"

So called Plagg glanced around Adrien's room, completely ignoring his question.  
"Say, do you have any food? I'm starving." He said as he began floating around the room.

"H-hey! Stop and answer my question!" Adrien demanded. The creature still ignored him, in favour of attempting to eat a remote. Adrien quickly walked up to him, and snatched the remote away, glaring at him. Plagg looked at him in disappointment.

"Rude," Plagg said, as he crossed his small arms over his chest.

Adrien groaned in utter annoyance.

"I'll give you food, if you give me answers," Adrien offered, crossing his fingers that it would work. Plagg hummed in thought, before nodding his head in agreement. Adrien sighed in relief.

He disrgarded the remote on the dresser near his bed, then turned back to Plagg.  
"So, you're my-"

"Your kwami," Plagg interrupted. "Basically, I provide your new powers."

Adrien was only more confused than before. Kwami? Powers? It just wasn't adding up. But, he played along, because he felt like questioning it more would only make him more confused.

"Okay… alright, so you're my Kwami, and you give me my powers? Anything else I need to know?"

The kwami thought for a moment, glancing at the ring box on the bed.  
"Your power comes from that ring. Just put it on, and say, 'Claws out,' and boom. Hero mode unlocked." Plagg said. Adrien glanced back at the box, and slowly made his way back to his bed. He picked up the box, and pulled the ring out.

"So, if that's all your questions, can I have some…" Plagg cut his sentence off as he watched Adrien slip on the ring, and look at him with a sly grin.

_"Why you little-"_

"Plagg, claws out!"

~

Adrien shook his head of the memory. It was strange. But, definitely worth it. He sighed, glancing around at the city view in awe. Of course, he had seen it plenty of times on the nights when he snuck out, which was often, but it just seemed different when you were staring at it from the rooftops.

"Enjoying the view?" A female voice interrupted. Adrien quickly turned his head to the owner. He was shocked to realise that the infamous saviour of Paris, was standing behind him, in all her glory.

He turned his attention back to the busy streets below. He may have been in shock at seeing her, but Ladybug didn't need to know that. He wasn't Adrien. It was time for him to start fresh.

"Ah, yes. It's a beautiful sight, but it's not the only pretty sight out tonight." He replied as he turned back to the spotted heroine, and winked at her. She rolled her eyes in response.

"Shut it, kitty. I'm not in the mood for any jokes. I'm here for one purpose, and one purpose only," She placed her hands on her hips as she studied his sitting figure.

Adrien smirked, striking little poses as she examined in. She groaned in annoyance.

She sighed, already growing tired of the feline. "Who are you?" She asked with an aggravated tone.

"Who are _you_?" He responded.

"I asked you first."

The masked boy grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest.  
"I asked you second."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the views! I didn't expect to get any tbh.
> 
> Tumblr: buga-boo  
> Instagram: chatsears


	3. chapter three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw, Marinette and Adrien are both 16 in this fic. Just in case anyone was curious.

 Marinette narrowed her eyes at the masked boy. She stared at him for a while before sighing once again, and throwing her head in her hands. She was _not_ in the mood for such childish games. She could be studying, but no.

Marinette lifted her head from her hands, inhaling the cool, night air to calm herself down, and tried to talk to him again.

"I'm Ladybug. I told you who I am, will you tell me who you are now?"

He held a finger on his chin in thought, for a moment, dragging out an audible "hm".

"I'm… Chat Noir. Yeah, that's it. Nice to meet you," He stood up from his once sitting position on the edge of the building, and made his way to Marinette. As he got closer, Marinette was able to tell just how tall he was. He was at least 5 inches taller than her, if that. Marinette was staring up at him, thinking about who the mysterious boy was, she hadn't noticed him holding out his hand to her.

He cleared his throat to get her attention, and Marinette nearly jumped.

"Enchanted by my good looks, are we?" He joked. Marinette rolled her eyes and took his gloved hands in hers. His grip was strong, but lazy. His hand was loose around hers, but it might have been that fact that his hand was so large compared to her petite hand.

He released her hand, letting his much larger one fall to his side as he ran the other through his messy hair. Marinette also noticed how he shifted in his outfit uncomfortably.

"So, what exactly is it you do, Ladybug?"  
He questioned.

"Well, I'm just your friendly neighbourhood ladybug," Marinette responded with a small smile. "I just help out the people of Paris, catching bad guys and whatnot."

Chat Noir nodded in response, but seemed uninterested. His eyes were focused on the stars, as if he was deep in thought.

"And… that's all you do? You've never used your powers for anything else?" He asked, glancing back down at her. Marinette found the question shocking. Why would she do anything else? She was sworn to use her powers to protect- not for her advantage.

"No, I haven't. And I don't plan on it." She said, in a colder voice than intended. Chat hummed in thought.

"So, what you're telling me is, you have amazing powers. Amazing powers that, if put to use, could literally let you do or get whatever you wanted. But you've never used them for yourself?"

 Marinette was getting annoyed once again. But, not annoyance from obnoxious behaviour. It was annoyance from the fact that he would even think about such a thing. It was just wrong.  
"Look, it's none of my business what you plan on doing dressed up in a cat suit, but I strongly advise you not to do something foolish. Or it _will_ be my business." She warned.

Chat Noir scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm old enough to make my own decisions, thanks." Marinette noticed the slight change in his voice and attitude. It wasn't hard to miss. He went from flirtatious and annoying, to serious and brooding rather quickly. It only made her more curious about the boy under the mask, and why he was asking her such questions.

She felt the tension oozing off of him, and decided to change the subject.

"So, honestly, what's up with the suit?"

His features changed, seeming more relaxed. "Who's to say I'm not a hero like you?"

Marinette resisted the urge to roll her eyes. A hero? Really? After a conversation like that? But, hey, she wasn't one to judge. Maybe he wanted to be a hero, and just needed a little help.

"A hero, huh? Got any powers?"

Chat smirked. A smirk that seemed familiar to Marinette, but she couldn't place it.  
"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Is that so?" Marinette said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Show me."

He froze. "What?" He asked with wide eyes.

"You heard me. Show me your powers."

He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, you see, I don't exactly know what my powers are, but I know I have them. At least that's what the kwa-something told me."

Marinette' eyes widened at that.

"Kwami? Did you mean kwami?" She asked. A spark of recognition shot through Chat's vividly green eyes.

"Yeah, that."

 _He must be my partner or something._ Marinette thought as she sorted the situation out. _Of course. Of course I get stuck with him._

She shook her head, shaking her thoughts away and returned her attention to the boy in front of her.  
  
"I'm guessing that means we're partners. I was given my powers by a kwami, too." She admitted, earning a surprised look from him.

"Is that so? I thought you were born with them," he responded. His brows furrowed in thought as he studied her features that were visible around the mask.  
"So, does that mean you're just another person that roams these streets?"

Marinette bit her lower lip, contemplating whether or not she wanted to continue this conversation, before ultimately deciding to change the subject.

"Don't you have a cat nap planned, or something?" She asked him. He scratched his head as if thinking about it. She was glad he didn't try to intrude on the subject anymore.

"Now that you've mentioned it, I believe I do. I have a lovely bed that's just calling my name," His grin was lopsided as he turned to walk away. "After all, a face this _purr_ -fect needs its beauty sleep." He said with a wink, reaching the edge of the building.

"I'll see you another day, M'lady?" Chat asked as he tipped his head and bowed slightly, pretending to tip a hat at her. His green eyes glanced up at her from his bowed position, waiting for a response.

"Maybe," Marinette finally responded, getting the feeling that it wasn't going to be the last time she saw him.

He seemed pleased with her answer, nonetheless, and straightened his posture.  
"I'm not hearing a 'No,'" He grinned again, before leaping off the roof, onto another one nearby. His figure disappeared into the night, leaving Marinette alone, smiling to herself. The slight wind blew her loose hair as she stared at the spot Chat had left.

"Silly kitty," she chuckled to herself, pulling out her spotted yoyo. She aimed the yoyo at a nearby lamppost, swinging off if the building and into the crisp air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: buga-boo  
> Instagram: chatsears


	4. chapter four

Adrien wasn't at school the next day.

Nor the day after that.

 Marinette was used to it, though, since he often skipped school. But she was still shocked by it, because she just couldn't grasp the fact that someone would willingly choose to miss school, and possibly fail. She had to admit, school could be boring and tiring, but she worked hard, because she wanted- no, she needed to pass.

She glanced at the empty desk in front of her, resting her chin in her hand.

 Not only had she not seen Adrien lately, but she also hadn't seen the cat boy since that night. He was strange, she had to admit. Yet, a small part of her wanted to see him again. He was a mystery, and she wanted to figure him out.

~

 Adrien sat on the roof of a building, staring at the Paris view. He had skipped school the past two days, in favour of roaming the city in his new identity. He felt free, and it gave him peace.

There was no one whispering behind his back about his "I-don't-give-a-shit" attitude.

No teachers that scolded him, claiming that "He could do better."

And no father to ignore him, and completely shut him out of his life.

 It's not like he cared about his father, anyway. He was never around, always on business trips out of town. When Adrien was younger, he used to have a nanny. She was the only person in the world Adrien actually ever cared about. She was kind, helped him with his homework, and when he was sad about his father's absence, or during the time he was depressed and always arguing with his father, she was there for Adrien.

She was the one that put blankets on him, when he cried himself to sleep.

She was the one that made sure he ate enough, when he had slowly started losing his appetite, and skipped meals.

She was the one that helped him through many dark times.

 Adrien heard the quiet beeping from his ring, indicating that he was going to change back soon. He sighed as he took one last glance at the city- the light blue sky with soft, fluffy, white clouds scattered across like streaks from a paintbrush, and the sun that was shining and leaving a reflection on the Eiffel Tower that towered over the city and the people walking under it.

 Adrien stood up, and jumped from the roof, landing in an alleyway, as he quickly detransormed out of his suit. He heard Plagg muttering behind him, but he wasn't paying attention to him. Adrien was still thinking back at his old nanny.

Her name was Nathalie.

 She was kind, and caring, though she didn't show it. She hid behind her work most of the time, but still managed to make him smile. If Adrien was being honest, he sometimes thought of her as a mother, since she was the closest thing he ever had to one.

 She seemed content taking care of him. She never complained or argued. Which was mostly why Adrien still couldn't understand why she quit.

Sure, Adrien was a teen, and was old enough to take care of himself, but it was at a time when he needed her most.

He still remembered the day, clearly.

_*three years ago*_

 It was about two weeks after Adrien's thirteenth birthday. Though, it wasn't anything special. He had received a few cards from classmates, and Nathalie had bought him a small cake. That was his favourite thing he got that day. The cheap drugstore cards didn't mean anything to him, but the fact that Nathalie went out of her way, and most likely messed up her schedule, to buy a special cake just for him, made him happier than words could describe.

 He had been feeling rather down, at the time. He had began to notice how much of a loner he really was. No one at school really hung out with him, so he was mostly left on the outside. Watching as everyone else talked with their best friends, cheated off of each other on tests and laughing about it afterwards, hell, even friends that got into fights.

Because, at least they were once friends.

 Adrien entered his house, kicking off his shoes and throwing his backpack on the ground before throwing himself on the couch in the living room. Nathalie had laughed at his behaviour, but it sounded forced. Adrien shrugged off the thought, however, and sat up on the couch.

"Long day?" She asked as she picked up his backpack and shoes.

 He nodded in response, not really up for conversation. After Nathalie had brought his things to his room, she returned to the living room seeming uncomfortable. She was messing with her necklace and she was continuously pushing back loose strands of hair.

It was obvious she wanted to say something, but didn't know how to say it.

"What's wrong?" Adrien asked with a concerned voice. Nathalie looked at him with her eyes wide, like a deer in headlights. "I…" she began, as she started to miss with her necklace again. She sighed and moved her stare to the carpet.

"I won't be taking care of you, after today." She explained, still fidgeting with her necklace.

At first, Adrien didn't understand. It just didn't sink in.

"What do you mean…?" He asked quietly.

She took in a shaky breath and held her arms tightly together, as if to keep herself from throwing her arms around him.

"I'm leaving."

 Those two words were what broke Adrien. He could feel his world slowly starting to shatter around him, the protective walls he had put up, where he knew Nathalie would always be there for him, had fallen down.

"I'm so sorry," she was talking, apologising, and going on about how he was too old for a nanny. But Adrien wasn't listening.

He realised on that day, that he truly was alone.

_*present time*_

 Adrien blinked the memory away, furrowing his brows together in thought. He truly did miss her, but he no longer felt any sadness at the memory. He had cried any tears or emotions for her departure away that night, and for many nights afterwards.

 When she had officially left, was when Adrien had started skipping school. At first, he had missed the day after the terrible news. He didn't feel like going to school, nor was he mentally stable for it. He had cried all night, and without Nathalie to comfort him, the tears kept coming.

 From then after, he just didn't care anymore. He would skip a day every now and then, in favour of going to abandoned warehouse he had found. It had become sort of a haven for him.

 Adrien turned a corner, he could feel Plagg shifting uncomfortably from inside his jacket. When he turned the corner, he tossed the street, making sure it was clear before, and then walked for about another block.

 The sky had started turning into a grayish shade of blue, the once light blue sky had completely vanished. The clouds, too, changed, seeming darker and not has light and fluffy as before.

 _Certainly seems to match the mood._ Adrien thought, as he glanced up at the sky. He sighed as he walked up to an old building, with black shutters that were hanging off. There were holes everywhere on the building- small ones and big ones, and areas of brick that had completely fallen off. When Adrien tried to open the door, the handle was stuck. He had to push it open, using his left shoulder and right hand to do so. Once it was open, a cool drift pierced his face. He turned his head slightly, and adjusted his coat before fully stepping into the building.

It had actually been a while since he had visited his so called "haven".

The floor creaked with his every step, echoing through the building as he wondered around.

"Where are we?" Plagg asked from Adrien's coat, where he was sticking his head out from the unbuttoned area.

"An abandoned warehouse," Adrien answered. Plagg hummed in response and glanced around the area.

As Adrien continued walking, he steeped on a weak piece of wood on the floor, causing it to break underneath him. He hissed in pain, as he felt a piece of wood piercing through his jeans and flesh.

"Ah, shit!" Adrien whisper-shouted. He pulled his leg out from the small hole. He noticed a bit of blood starting to stain through his pants. Adrien sat down, lifting the bottom of his coat up slightly, and ripped of a piece of cloth from his shirt. He then rolled up his jeans to reveal a small cut, that was at least an inch deep. It was bleeding heavily, so he tied the cloth around the cut, making sure to have enough pressure to stop the bleeding. Once the cloth was secure, he stood back up, cringing at the pain that shot through his leg.

Plagg had flew out of Adrien's jacket during it, floating near him.  
"You okay, kid?"

Adrien arched a brow at him, before continuing to walk.  
"Oh, I'm doing just fine," he responded as he walked ahead of the kwami. He was limping slightly, but he didn't let any pain show on his face. "Just fine…"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh Adrien back story. 
> 
> My poor bby ;-;
> 
> Tumblr: buga-boo  
> Instagram: chatsears


	5. chapter five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for 1k views!

 "So, uh, why are we here?" Plagg asked from behind Adrien, as Adrien continued through the warehouse.

 "For old times sake," Adrien responded sarcastically, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his dark gray coat. He paused, and glanced around the area. There was debris all over the ground, and Adrien had to step over most of it, which proved difficult with a limp. He eventually made it to his desired destination, and began kicking a bit of brick out of his way. Once the area was clear, he kneeled down and lifted a plank from the floor board, to reveal a little box. He pulled out the box, and opened it. Inside the box was a package of cigarettes, a lighter, and a dusty and torn picture.

 Adrien grabbed the pack of cigarettes, flipping them over to look at the back, before stuffing them in his pocket. He didn't enjoy smoking, nor was it an addiction he had, but it was something he had turned to when he was in a bad time. They helped him think. He had actually gone a good few months without them, but he had a lot on his mind lately.

 He also pulled out the lighter and stuck it in his pocket. His hand lingered in the box, right above the picture. It was a picture of his mother, that he never knew. She died when he was very young, and Adrien's father refused to talk about her. He never even told him how she died. Adrien's hand twitched as he pondered over taking the photo, or leaving it. He ended up taking it and stuffing it in his empty coat pocket.

 Adrien stood back up, after placing the box back in its hiding spot, and began walking out of the building.

 Pulling out the box of cigarettes, he took one out and placed it in his mouth as he lit it with a lighter.

Plagg made a sound of disgust, but Adrien ignored it.

Adrien just needed to think.

He needed to think about a lot of things.

~

 When school had finished, Marinette made her way home. It may have been Friday, but she didn't have any plans, other than a patrol later that night. She couldn't help her excitement as she thought about the patrol. Weekends were always busy nights for Paris' hero. It seemed like an unspoken rule to rob a bank or do something equally as bad or worse on the weekend.

 She was smiling as she stepped into the bakery that coincided as her house, but the smile slightly faltered when she saw her parents standing in the hall waiting for her.

"Uh, hey mom! Hey dad!" Marinette greeted as she closed the bakery door behind her. "What's up?"

 Her parents smiled at her, walking up to her to hug her. "Hey, sweetie," Her mother, Sabine, greeted her. They released her from the embrace, and stepped back a bit.

 "Now, Marinette, we know it's the weekend and you probably have something planned to do with your friends," Sabine started. "But, your father and I will be out of town for the weekend. Some family stuff popped up and we need to go. We need you to watch over the bakery while we're gone."

 Marinette continued smiling, because even though she really, _really_ , wanted to go patrolling, she knew what the bakery meant to her family. She didn't want to let them down. She just hopped a certain cat decided to go out that night, so she wouldn't have to worry about it.

"Of course! No big deal," Marinette agreed. Her parents smiled at her, her mother giving her a kiss on her head before they turned to go upstairs.

"We need to go pack our things, we'll be leaving in about an hour!" Her mother called down to her. Marinette nodded, even though they couldn't see her. She went up the stairs behind them, and stepped into her room. She sighed as she closed her bedroom door and slid down it, so she was sitting on the floor.

"I'll have to postpone the patrol for later tonight… it's going to be a long night." Marinette said, as Tikki flew out of her bag and smiled at her.

"It's okay, Marinette. Maybe it will be an easy night." Tikki reassured her.

~

 After Adrien had left the abandoned warehouse, he bought Plagg some food so he could get his energy back. As soon as Plagg finished, Adrien had quickly transformed back into his new persona.

 He had thought about a lot on his mind. One of the things being his new powers. He kept going back to Ladybug's warning. He had to admit, having power to be able to do whatever he wanted was a pretty nice deal, but he'd seen what Ladybug could do. If Adrien didn't play his cards right, that could happen to him too.

Ultimately, he decided to _why not give this hero thing a shot?_

 Adrien made his way across the rooftops, which seemed to be a new routine of his.  
He stopped short when he noticed a familiar figure standing on a balcony. It was Marinette.

He smirked to himself. Maybe he could take a small break and test out his new charm. With his mind made up, he switched directions towards her.

~

 Marinette sighed as she leaned against the railing of her balcony. The bakery was still open, and her parents had already left, so she needed to be there in case they got a customer. But, that didn't mean she couldn't keep an eye out as she worked. She scanned the area, making sure nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

"A beautiful princess like yourself shouldn't be alone on a Friday night."

 Marinette jumped, releasing a small squeal, at the voice that came from her side. She quickly turned around to find Chat Noir sitting on the railing, and smirking down at her. She placed a hand over her heart to calm her heartbeat.

" _Geez_ , don't you know it's rude to sneak up on people like that? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Chat chuckled and jumped down from the balcony railing.

"What can I say? I saw a pretty girl, all by herself, and my instincts kicked in." He said as he took a step closer to her. He grabbed her hand, and held it up to his lips. Marinette had to force herself not to gag.

"The name's Chat Noir." He introduced himself, as he kissed the back of her hand. Marinette quickly pulled her hand back and smiled.

"And I'm going inside," She responded as she began to walk off. She was stopped by his voice behind her.

"Not even a name? Oh, you're cruel."

Marinette turned around and rolled her eyes. "Look, kitty, I have a bakery to tend to. I don't have time for pleasantries."

Chat looked taken aback, but he still grinned back at her. "A bakery? Ah, so the beautiful princess, is actually just a simple commoner." Chat had picked a rise from the small garden on the balcony, and stepped closer to Marinette.

"Maybe you're just waiting for your prince," he said, as he placed the rose in her loose hair. Marinette arched a brow and swatted his hand away.

"It was nice meeting you, _Chat_ _Noir_ , but I really should get back to the bakery."

Chat nodded in understanding and started back long away, waving as he neared the railing.  
"I'll see you again, soon, Princess." He said as he climbed on the railing, and jumped down. Marinette sighed and shook her head. She smiled as she touched the rose in her hair. He was…strange. But, Marinette found herself enjoying the thought of seeing him again.

Whether it was as Ladybug, or Marinette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah this chapter was really rushed. Anyway, thanks again for 1k views! I'm really excited about this story, I have it all planed out. I hope you're all enjoying this story too! :3
> 
> Tumblr: buga-boo  
> Instagram: chatsears


	6. chapter six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you so much for all of the views and kudos! You guys are amazing.

Marinette did see Chat again.

She actually saw him quite often, whether it was as Marinette or Ladybug. It was a tradition of sorts, for him to visit her on her balcony every night. It went on like that for about two weeks. He would flirt and tease, she would laugh and shake it off.

Marinette also noticed Adrien had become a little more open. He would greet her in the mornings, and she would die a little on the inside, but greet him back.

She wasn't complaining about the change, not in the slightest. She enjoyed getting to see Adrien open up, after years of him being quiet and to himself. And she enjoyed, though she hated to admit it, seeing Chat. He always seemed to go out of his way to complement her, and though she didn't show it, the small compliments really did make her the slightest bit happier.

It had also become a habit of Chat's to refer to her as "princess".

She didn't exactly hate the nickname, but it just felt weird to her. She was never close enough to anyone for them to give her a nickname, and she wasn't sure why he decided to call her that even though they only knew each other for a total of two weeks. She was used to it, however. Not only did he call Marinette "princess", but he also referred to Ladybug with nicknames. Saying things such as "My lady" and once, the nickname she absolutely loathed, "bugaboo".

Their friendship was…odd. If she could even call it that. He wasn't exactly what Marinette would ever consider a typical "hero" to be. He never seemed to be around when something serious was going on. The only times she really ever saw him, when she was Ladybug, was when she found him roaming, or if he sought her out.

One time, she actually caught him following her.

That definitely freaked her out, especially since she was heading back to her house. If he would have continued following her, then he would have found out her identity. Which would have made things really awkward.

While she wasn't in her Ladybug costume, when she was just Marinette, a normal girl who spent her free time studying, she had interesting conversations with the cat. She had told him all about her life, her favourite things, her school, she even almost told him about her (not so really small) crush on Adrien, but stopped herself before doing so. He sat in silence, listening intently and nodding when appropriate, and speaking when he should. But, he never spoke about himself. He had told her a few things, like when he found his Kwami in the kitchen of his house, eating a whole box of left over pizza.

Other than that, he never spoke about his life. Marinette knew nothing about him, other than the fact that he got way too much joy out of flirting and cheesy puns.

She knew nothing of the boy under the mask, and she wanted to know more about him.

Over the past few days, that was all that occupied her mind. Was he someone she knew? Was he even from around the area? Was he her age? Did he act the same out of the costume? There were so many questions she wanted to ask him, but she wanted to wait for him to open up and tell her.

The worst possibilities filled her mind. What if he has a dark past, and that's why he doesn't want to talk about it? What if he's a criminal? What if he has a bad family?

The thoughts terrified her, especially since they were rather big possibilities. But, she felt like she could trust him.

_"Marinette,"_

It was like she actually knew him.

_"Hello? Marinette?"_

Like she had known him for much longer than two weeks-

_"You okay there?"_

Marinette's thoughts were interrupted by snapping, then a voice- and when she finally blinked out of her daze, she was greeted by Adrien. He was standing in front of her desk, leaning over it so he was only inches away from her face. She couldn't help but flush in embarrassment.

"I- uh, yeah! I'm fine. I was just off in space." She responded, laughing nervously. Adrien arched a brow, before shrugging and straightening back up. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his black jeans as he looked down at Marinette.

"Well, I'm going to get some lunch now. You can come too, if you want." Adrien turned around and began walking off. Marinette sat still for a moment, letting what he said sink in.

Adrien had invited her to eat lunch with him.

She could feel her grin widening as she quickly gathered her belongings, shoving them into her bag, before scurrying to catch up with him.

Adrien made his way through the quiet halls of the school. Everyone else had already left, or was eating lunch at the school. Marinette was following being him, still not believing what had happened. Sure, they had gotten a bit closer, and Marinette thought that they were, maybe, acquaintances. Then again, she never really had any friends, other than Chat Noir. Maybe. She honestly didn't know what Chat Noir was to her.

Marinette followed Adrien out of the school, neither of them saying a word. Once they made it down the steps in front of the school, Adrien stopped, causing Marinette to stumble into his back. He turned around and steadied her, mumbling a small, "Sorry,".

"No, no! It's fine! I should have been paying attention." Marinette reassured him. He nodded as he glanced around the busy street, watching the people walk by, and the cars driving by.

"I was just going to ask where you wanted to eat." He said after a minute, looking back down at her.

Marinette though for a moment, staring up at Adrien and finally studying him. He was wearing a dark gray coat, with fur on the hood, it seemed very expensive. It was definitely something Marinette could never own. He also had a plain white shirt underneath it, and a gray beanie that rested on his blonde hair. Marinette hadn't realised, but over the past few years, his hair had grown a lot. It used to stop just passed his ears, but it had grown to a bit passed his chin. The long tufts of hair poked out from his beanie, framing his face like golden trim.

"Uhm," Marinette muttered as she continued to stare at him. Before she could stop herself, she spoke again.  
"My parents own a bakery, why don't we go there? They serve lunch there too."

Marinette missed the smile and look of recognition on Adrien's face as he turned around.  
"Sounds good," he said as he held a hand out in front of him. "lead the way."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is kinda short.


	7. chapter seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are ready for some Adrienette fluff.

  Marinette led Adrien to her house in awkward silence. She wasn't sure what to talk about, and Adrien didn't seem like he wanted to talk, anyway. She kept glancing back at him nervously, and every now and then, he'd catch her stare, and shot her a half smile. She would quickly look away, and start walking a bit faster.

When they finally arrived at the bakery, Marinette took a moment to compose herself.

"Okay," she said as she took a deep breath in. She turned around to face Adrien, who was already staring down at her. "I usually don't bring people here, so you're probably- no, you _are_ going to be asked a lot of questions…" She bit her lower lip as she awaited his response.

He simply nodded, giving her a quick, "Alright."

Marinette turned back to the door, holding her breath as she held her hand on the door knob. "Here goes nothing," she mumbled to herself, as she opened the door. A bell chimed, signalling their entrance. Marinette stepped into the bakery, with Adrien not far behind. Her parents looked up from what they were doing- her dad taking a fresh batch of bread out of the oven, and her mother wrapping a box, most likely for an order.

"Hey mom, dad," Marinette said with a sheepish smile. She heard Adrien close the door behind her, causing her parents to glance at him.

Marinette felt, at that exact moment, the sudden change in atmosphere. She saw it in her parent's eyes, the confused look, that quickly changed to one of understanding, then the look of surprise. Marinette knew the questions were about to come, especially since Adrien was the first person she had _ever_ brought to her house, _and_ the fact that he was a guy.

"Hey sweetie, who's your friend?" Her mother asked, smiling as she finished wrapping the box with a red bow. Question number one.

"This is-" Marinette began, but was cut off when Adrien stepped in front of her.

"I'm Adrien," he said with a smile. Marinette stared up at him in slight awe. It was a different smile- one she had never seen him with before. She was used to his smirks and half grins. Seeing him genuinely smile made her stomach flutter.

Adrien had made his way towards Marinette's mom, holding his hand out for her to shake. "It's nice to meet you." He said, shaking her hand then moving to Marinette's father to do the same.

"It's nice to meet you too," Marinette's mom said with a smile.

Marinette was quite surprised at how well everything was going. She expected them to be a bit more surprised, but they seemed perfectly fine with it.

Marinette then realised she spoke too soon as her parents began asking him multiple questions.

"Are you in Marinette's class?" Question two.

"Would you like some pastries? Everything's fresh!" "Is that your natural hair colour? It's so blonde!" Questions 3 and 4.

 "How long have you known our daughter?" Question 5. That was enough for Marinette. She quickly pulled out her phone, checking the time. There was only thirty minutes left of their lunch time, and they still needed time to walk back to school.

 "Mom! Dad! We just came here for lunch. We have to head back to school soon." She spoke up, causing her parents to stop their interrogation. They turned their attention to Marinette and smiled.

 "Ah, alright. We'll fix up something for you two." Marinette's mother said as she returned to behind the bakery counter. Marinette's father followed behind her.  
"Why don't you take Adrien up to your room while we make your lunch?" Her mother added after a minute.

 Marinette's eyes widened with her face growing red, and she aggressively shook her head.  
"I-I don't think Adrien wants to see my room! It's boring, and… and very girly!" Marinette stuttered in an attempt to not take him into her room. She was hoping Adrien would agree with her, however, when she found his eyes from across the room, she found him smirking at her.

"Oh, c'mon, Mari, I'd love to see your room."

Marinette wanted to die then and there. She just wanted to crawl into a little ball, and slowly die.

 She let out a shaky sigh, as she reluctantly nodded her head, and made her way towards the stairs on the other side of the room. Adrien followed her, still smirking. Marinette wished she could hate him; with his stupid little smirk, and his bad boy attitude, and the way he made her feel all tingly inside. But, she couldn't bring herself to hate him, even if she tried.

~

 "It's very… pink." Adrien stated as he glanced around her room. Well, he was definitely right. She had pink bed sheets, a pink computer, a pink chair,pink walls- _a lot_ of pink. Adrien moved around the room, looking at everything and taking it in. He had wondered what her room looked liked, for a while. He had only been on her balcony, so he never was able to see her room. It was also nice to see the bakery. He grinned to himself as he walked past the pink chair that was in front of her computer. He gave the chair a spin before sitting down in it, and looking around the room once more.

"Over all, it's a pretty nice room." He said after a moment.

 Marinette had secluded herself on her bed, avoiding any type of interaction with him. She had stuck her head in a book, but he knew she wasn't really reading it. Adrien sighed as he stood up from the chair, and climbed the ladder to her bed. She hadn't noticed him, until he snatched the book from her grasp, and quickly jumped from the ladder. There was a loud "thud" as he landed on the ground, the book still in his hand. Marinette exclaimed a "Hey!" while she scurried off of her bed, and carefully climbed down the steps of the ladder.

Adrien grinned as he flipped through the book, but Marinette wasn't having it.

 "Give that back!" She demanded, reaching past his shoulder to grab the book. He only held the book farther out of her grasp.

 "Oh, Mari, is this really what you do on your free time? This book is so cliche." He said as he playfully pushed her away. Marinette frowned as she staggered back, crossing her arms over her chest as she pouted at him.

"I'll have you know, it's a very good book." She retorted. Adrien simply chuckled as he flipped the page again, his eyes scanning over the print.

"Really? But it happens in every story. The princess falls in love with the prince, and they live happily ever after. The end."

 "Yes, but, this one's different," Marinette had walked back to him and snatched the book back. Adrien made a noise of disappointment but allowed her to anyway. She began flipping through the pages, and stopped on one page. "You see, she doesn't know he's the prince. At first, at least. They meet at a masquerade ball, and fall in love, not knowing who they both really are."

 Adrien chuckled to himself. It reminded him a lot of his own situation. He was Chat Noir, who visited Marinette every night, but she had no idea that it was him. She had no idea, that she was his "princess".

 "They still fall in love at the end, so I don't really see the appeal." Adrien commented with a shrug. Marinette simply rolled her eyes, and placed the book down on her desk.

 "We should head back downstairs, lunch should be ready now." Marinette said as she began to leave the room. Adrien glanced back at the book, before following her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking a bit longer to update! I've been busy. I hope the fluff is a good enough apology. 
> 
> Tumblr: buga-boo  
> Instagram: chatsears


	8. chapter eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 1.9k VIEWS!

After Marinette and Adrien ate, Marinette was practically pushing Adrien out the door.

"Thanks mom! Thanks dad! Lunch was great, but we really should get back to school! Don't want to be late!" Marinette smiled back at her parents, who looked at her oddly, as she continued to push Adrien out the door. He protested, "Hey, wait-" before she successfully pushed him out of the door, and quickly closed the door behind her.

"Well… that was… interesting." She said with an embarrassed chuckle. Adrien was staring intently at her, which he had been doing ever since they left her room.

"Um…" Marinette began. "Staring is rude, you know…" she said, biting her lower lip and staring at anything but him.

"Come with me," Adrien commanded after a moment. Marinette finally looked up at him, confusion written on her face.

"What?"

Adrien rolled his eyes.   
"Come with me. I want to show you something." He explained, but Marinette was still confused.

"But, we have to get back to school-"

  
"C'mon," Adrien insisted, grinning at Marinette as she stared at him dubiously.   
"Princess." He added after a minute, gaining a surprised look from her. She looked up at him, wide eyed and with her mouth slightly open as if she was at a loss for words. And, dammit, it looked adorable. After hanging around her for so long as Chat Noir, he began to notice certain things about her. Like how she bit her lower lip when she was nervous or didn't know what to say, or how she blew her bangs out of her face, only to have them fall back in her eyes.

"What did you say…?" She questioned in a quiet voice, bringing Adrien from his thoughts.

"I said, 'C'mon, Princess." He repeated, holding out a hand for her.

After a moment of thought, she hesitantly placed her hand in his.   
"Okay…" she agreed. Adrien smiled as he took her hand, and began to walk off, with her following behind.

~

"Where are we going?" Marinette asked, for the umpteenth time. She had been asking the same question, repeatedly, ever since they left her house. Adrien sighed. He knew she was probably just nervous, since it was the first time she had ever skipped school, but it was still rather annoying.

"You'll see when we get there," was his response every time. Except, that time, was a little different. "We're almost there, anyway."

Adrien led Marinette to the warehouse, that he had actually been spending more time at as of late. He wasn't quite sure why he wanted to bring her there, he really just needed to get away from school for a bit longer. Marinette was just a plus.

Of course, he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to spend a bit more time with her. She was… interesting. He had never met a girl so sheltered, and, well, innocent. He also wanted to get to know her as Adrien, instead of Chat Noir.

Adrien stopped in front of the building, once they got to it. Marinette stopped next to him, staring down at their still interlocked hands. She quickly pulled her hand away from his, mumbling a quiet, "sorry," and staring at the ground. Adrien arched a brow at her, but didn't question it. He moved his stare to the building in front of them.

"Here we are," he said, gesturing to the warehouse. Marinette looked up at the building, eyes flickering all around it, as if she was taking in every detail.

"Is this place safe?" She asked after a minute. "It looks like it could fall in at any moment."

Adrien smirked at her as he walked up to the front door of the warehouse.   
"It hasn't fallen in on me yet, so I'll take my chances." He said as he opened the door, and held it open for her.

Marinette stared at the door in uncertainty. Adrien raised an eyebrow.

"You coming?" He asked. Marinette took a deep breath in, and nodded. She walked up to the door, and held her breath as she walked inside. Adrien followed behind her.

"It's very… empty." Marinette said as she glanced around the area. Adrien walked up beside her, leaving the door to close on its on. It closed with a rather loud slam, causing Marinette to jump. She quickly recollected herself, however.

Adrien walked ahead, manoeuvring his way through the broken floor and debris, with Marinette following closely behind. Adrien led her to a set of old stairs. As he stepped up on the first step, he glanced back at her to make sure she was okay. When she smiled at him, he continued up the stairs.

They were careful as they climbed the steps. They creaked with every step, and it was obvious how old and fragile they were. Once Adrien made it to the top, he turned around to check on Marinette. She had been even more careful than he had. She was taking the steps one at a time, slowly, and holding onto the railing tightly as she made her way up. After a moment, she glanced up at Adrien, catching his stare. She smiled, and Adrien gave her a half grin in response.

They stayed like that for a moment.

But, said moment was quickly ruined by a snapping sound. Both of their heads quickly shot down to the stairs, as yet another snap was heard. Marinette's eyes widened as the snaps turned to cracking, then the step she was standing on, gave in beneath her.

A scream tore from her throat as the step broke, nearly taking her down with her. However, a hand caught her before she fell. She looked up at the hand's owner, finding Adrien staring down at her, with just as much fear in his eyes as she had in hers.

"It's okay," he reassured her. "I've got you."

Marinette stared at him, for the longest time. His grip only tightened around her arm, as if he were afraid of dropping her. Which, wasn't a complete lie. He had brought her there in false reassurance that it was safe, so for her to get hurt, would really add on to his list of "shitty things that have happened because of me" list. Which was a list he would rather not add on to.

Adrien carefully helped her up, making sure she didn't scratch herself on any of the broken wood. He mentally slapped himself for even thinking it was a good idea to take those sorry excuse for stairs.

Once Marinette was back on her feet, Adrien was attacking her with apologies.

"Shit- I didn't realise they were- I just- _shit- I'm sorry_!"

Marinette simply shook her head.

"No, no, no, it's fine! I'm okay, see? No cuts, no blood, I'm fine!"

Adrien threw his head in his hands.

"Sorry- I just, I should have thought about you instead of just me. I'm used to only me coming here, I didn't think about you." Adrien mumbled. He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. He then lifted his head black up and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Anyway, we've already made it this far. Do you want to go on?" He asked. Marinette gave him a small smile as she nodded. Adrien grinned.

"Just, stay closer to me, okay?" He told her, his grin growing when her cheeks turned pink.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been so busy with school and family. But I finally forced myself to stay up and finish writing this chapter. I hope I'll. e able to update more often, since Christmas break is coming soon. 
> 
> Anyway, once again, thank you guys so much for 1.9k views. That actually really means a lot to me. 
> 
> Tumblr: buga-boo  
> Instagram: chatsears


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